


Time Heals All Wounds

by Arufa_DaAren



Category: Supergirl
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-21 13:21:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17643614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arufa_DaAren/pseuds/Arufa_DaAren
Summary: When her pod had been fired from the crumbling hangars of Krypton, just moments before her wife, she’d had some hope, albeit small, that they would find each other. That they’d meet on Earth, and work together to raise baby Kal-El. But she’d been thrown off course, plunged into the darkness of the Phantom Zone.Now, as she watched her starlight give an interview at a press conference, she felt reinvigorated. Alive, for the first time since she’d landed on this new world.Now she just had to get to her.





	1. Chapter 1

She could feel her jaw hanging low, the tears trailing down her cheeks. But she couldn’t help it. After decades of grieving, of heartache and pain; there she was. The love of her life. Her wife, glorious and godly in her beauty and strength.

She was alive, and not all that far away. Just a few hours of flying, and that’s at a slow pace. But she was alive, and that’s all that mattered.

When her pod had been fired from the crumbling hangars of Krypton, just moments before her wife, she’d had some hope, albeit small, that they would find each other. That they’d meet on Earth, and work together to raise baby Kal-El. But she’d been thrown off course, plunged into the darkness of the Phantom Zone.

It was like some horrific, lucid nightmare. The loneliness, the darkness had felt...wrong. Insidious, somehow. When she’d landed on Earth, and found her new family, she realised that they too, were full of darkness. Reminiscent of the malicious loneliness of the Phantom Zone. She’d been quite sure that it would haunt her. And after years without her wife, it was finally beginning to happen.

It was like she’d never left

Over time, she had withdrawn herself, as much as she was able. She had detached herself from feeling altogether, when the first decade passed, and her wife was nowhere to be found. Until this moment, she’d felt like a shell. Numb. Empty. Because the brightest star in her universe had been extinguished with the fall of Krypton. There was nothing left to feel, anyway.

Now, as she watched her starlight give an interview at a press conference, she felt reinvigorated. Alive, for the first time since she’d landed on this new world.

Now she just had to get to her.

With all that was going on in her life, all the changes that were occurring, it might very well be easy. She could up and move, and few would bat an eyelid. She could just make some excuses; a fresh start, a new perspective. A sea change. Humans loved that sort of thing. Living your true self, whatever that means.

So she shut off the television, and pulled out a notepad. She jotted down plans, and brainstormed ways to convince those around her that this was for the best. That it would ultimately prove more...lucrative...than staying put. It didn’t take long for her to have a fully mapped timeline. A year, maximum, and that’s taking any hiccups that may arise into account. Just one year, and she could see her wife again. Could hold her close and reminisce of home; their true home.

She couldn’t wait.

With a fire in her heart that had been missing for far too long, she closed her notebook, and set off to bed.

In the morning, Luthor Corp would begin its move to a National City.


	2. Chapter 2

Today was the day.

After much negotiating and far fewer issues than she had anticipated, Luthor Corp’s first office outside of Metropolis would be opening.

She would be arriving by helicopter, because Rao knows she couldn’t just fly in. After many, many phone calls from the nuns in charge, Lionel had managed to make it to the orphanage to pick her up, and he had made her promise to keep her identity a secret. His philandering - and his odd little fetish for off-world fare - was well-known to his wife, and had created a deep, xenophobic rage within the older woman. He had feared for his daughter, and had taken necessary steps to ensure her safety.

As a child, it had been bothersome, his constant reminders to watch her strength, to mind her walking speed. As an adult, she understood. Lillian was ferocious enough, without adding fuel to the fire.

But none of that mattered, now. Because in a few short hours, she would be with her wife once more. She wouldn’t have to hide, at least not behind closed doors.

She settled into the passenger seat of the chopper, and smiled quietly to herself as they lifted into the air.

Not long, now.

And not long, was right. Almost immediately upon crossing the border into National City airspace, the helicopter was attacked by drones. She rolled her eyes. Unfortunately, her family’s penchant for murdering aliens meant she would have to play the victim; pretend that she was not, in fact, indestructible. How irritating.

She was mid put-upon sigh when red and blue shot past the windscreen. Had it not been for her own superhuman abilities, she wouldn’t have seen the look of sheer determination. The single-minded desire to protect.

She’d always been like that. Ferociously protective. Lena could remember a time when the blonde had put herself on the line, just to stop her from scraping her knee. Poor Kara had received quite the knock to the head, a deep cut above her eyebrow as well. She smiled to herself once more, as she watched the chaos through the bubble-like helicopter windshield.

When one of the drones finally connected enough to rattle the pilot, she adjusted her focus. Trying to keep the man calm as they began descending, she watched the blonde in her periphery, marvelling at how her wife had changed over the decades.

When they were safely on the ground, she finally noticed blood on her pilot’s uniform,and that the poor man looked deathly pale. She cursed herself for being distracted, and not taking her first aid course seriously. At least, she did until the door to her right was ripped from the craft, and Kara loomed in the doorway.

And, much to Lena’s relief, she had definitely not forgotten her wife.

They stared at one another, for a long moment. And for the first time since the death of Krypton, Lena could feel her own heartbeat, pounding away in her chest. Her skin felt tingly, and every single hair was on end, at the sight of her lost bride. She could see tears, pricking the corners of dear Kara’s eyes, and she itched to wipe them away before they fell.

A groan distracted her. The pilot, bloodied and ashen, tried to move, and Lena panicked slightly at the thought of losing him due to her own distraction.

“I’m fine” she stated confidently to the Girl of Steel

“Just get him to hospital.” Kara’s attention snapped to the bleeding man, and she swallowed thickly as she nodded. And within moments, Lena’s world disappeared once more.

At least this time, she could get it back.


	3. Chapter 3

She had yet to make proper contact with Kara, in the days following her arrival in National City. There were still so many things to do. And with the recent destruction of the aircraft that she had not been on, she got the distinct impression that it would only get busier.

Luthor’s always end up in the news, somehow.

She thought Rao himself might be watching over her, when none other than Kal-El sauntered through her office door, a meek looking Kara Zor-El trailing quietly behind.

Her heart began to pound again. And this time, without distractions, she could hear Kara’s doing the same.

But she couldn’t just reveal her true nature, and identity. Couldn’t reveal that she’d helped change the diapers of The Man of Steel. Or frequently curled into the side of the Maid of Might, as they watched Rao set.

She didn’t know where she stood with the blonde, anymore. Didn’t know how she wanted to play this, or what she’d told whom of her life before Earth. Personally, Lena had never told anyone anything. So she bit her tongue, and glided through the interview.

Kal had grown into an arrogant prat, apparently. But Kara still doted on her, just as much as on Krypton, if a little more discreetly. Lena tried to be just as cautious, she really did. But she was desperate to reach out to her starlight, to curl into her side as they had always done.

In some attempt to maintain a balance between aloof and altogether too touchy for an apparent ‘first time meeting’, she inadvertently ended up flirting. A LOT.

And in no way discreetly.

She honestly would’ve face-palmed, if she thought that Kal wouldn’t look at her oddly. But thankfully, the man didn’t seem to notice her near-blatant ogling of his cousin.

Kara did, though.

And, oh my, did she blush. Just like she had on Krypton, whenever Lena had placed a gentle kiss to her cheek, or intertwined their hands. She’d always been so quick to redden, under Lena’s innocent affection.

All too soon, the interview was over. And Lena felt as if she’d achieved nothing. She was no closer to her wife than before. And judging by the way Kara lingered just a moment longer than necessary, she felt somewhat unfulfilled, too.

So Lena subtly hinted that she’d like to talk more, later. And Kara accepted readily, and almost suspiciously quickly. Kal, however, seemed keen to get out of there, so he simply ushered the blonde out, paying no mind to the almost palpable friction between the two women.

Lena watched the elevator descend; her wife subtly watching her in return, as they travelled to the ground floor. They maintained eye contact, through layer upon layer of concrete, until Kara had to turn away, and Lena felt so warm inside that she could burst. Because Kara did remember her. She hadn’t forgotten, with all the time that had passed.

And hopefully, they’d get a chance to talk about all that soon. Because Lena was so curious. Kara had aged, of course, but if she’d landed on Earth when they were meant to, she’d be considerably older, so what happened in the meantime? Where had she been, all these years? Why had she suddenly come out with Supergirl last year?

She almost had to make a list, of all the things she wanted to ask. But she realised that Kara would likely have the same questions, that they’d each have a billion things to ask one another. So she decided that when the time came, she’d just go with the flow. They’d get through all the pressing questions together.

Now she just had to figure out how to see Kara again.

Turns out, she didn’t need to worry about it at all.

Later that night, as she finished arranging her files in the brand new filing cabinet long after all her staff had departed for the night, she picked up the sound of material fluttering in the wind. She cocked her head to the side, as she listened for where the caped heroine may be, and slipped another file into its rightful place.

From the sound of it, the blonde herself was stationary, floating in place nearby as her cape moved around her. Her heartbeat was hard, but not fast; not anxious. Calm, and deep; content.

Lena smiled as she slowly closed the drawer she’d been filing in, and turned her head to the side.

There she was. Kara Zor-El. Her starlight. Her wife

Magnificent in her beauty, as the moon cast an ethereal glow around her. Even from here, Lena could see the tears beginning to swell once more in the hero’s eyes. She could hear that heartbeat begin to pound harder.

“Hello, love” she whispered, as the blonde fidgeted; eager to hold her wife again.

With that, it was like time and space melted away. They remained still; Kara floating outside the balcony, as Lena stayed inside her office. They drank one another in, even as they maintained a universe of distance.

Then, as if it were choreographed by Rao himself, they both moved. Super speed and desire closing the distance so quickly that a sound like thunder occurred when their bodies slammed into one another, and they clutched at each other’s clothes.

There were tears, and there was sobbing. Words flowing without any real meaning, as they finally came together, finally got to hold each other, after literal decades apart. They crumbled to the floor, still clutching and sobbing as the pain and grief was finally washed away by cleansing tears.

They were finally together again


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so here we get into some of the nitty-gritty behind Kara and Lena's relationship pre-Earth. Hopefully it makes sense!

They remained on the soft carpet of Lena’s office, as their tears began to ebb. Hands fisted into material loosened slightly, as they calmed in each other’s presence; finally content after so long feeling uprooted, feeling homeless.

Lena breathed deeply, as she buried her nose into soft blonde tresses. She could feel Kara’s smile against her temple, and the occasional soft press of lips against her hair. She’d never felt so complete, so satisfied. It was lovely.

Kara shifted slightly, just enough to look into jade green eyes, and Lena’s breath nearly left her, as she gazed back into sky blue, speckled with golden stars. Kara was smiling at her, the sweet, disarming smile she’d always had on Krypton, and Lena knew in that moment, that the blonde felt the exact same way.

“ _I thought I’d lost you_ ” the blonde uttered, in a language neither had heard for what felt like eternity. Tears gathered in Lena’s eyes once more, as the lost language floated smoothly into the air between them

“ _And I thought I’d lost you_ ” she returned, as Kara’s smile turned bittersweet. She hung her head, and Lena raised it again with a gentle hand

“ _I feel like I didn’t do enough to find you_.” She murmured, as Lena’s fingertips danced, feather-light over soft cheeks, while the CEO nodded.

“ _I feel like I just assumed you were gone, like I just set straight to grieving. I should’ve looked for you, Lena_ ” she sobbed, as Lena presses a kiss to her forehead.

“ _It’s ok, my starlight. After a while, it was easy to believe that you were gone, too. I understand_ ” tears began to flow again, as the couple came to terms with their loss, and the overwhelming emotions of finding one another.

“ _What happened, Kara? You launched after me, I thought you’d been caught up in the explosion_ ” Kara smiled sadly, as she shook her head

“ _I was thrown off course, into the Phantom Zone. I spent decades there, in the darkness; not awake, but not asleep, either. It was like a living nightmare_ ” she mumbled, as Lena’s jaw slowly fell open

“ _You...you were in the Phantom Zone?_ ” She asked, and Kara cocked her head in question as she nodded.

“ _I was, too. For a couple of decades, at least..._ ” she whispered, watching as Kara’s eyes widened

“ _You were? How...how were we so close to one another, and then so far apart? It seems like a cruel joke_ ” she grumbled, and Lena couldn’t help but giggle. Kara had always hated being separate from her, and had been known to spend hours seething over anything which had kept them apart. But she seemed to settle, at the sound of Lena’s amusement.

“ _Maybe Rao was testing us. Preparing us for the lives we would have, here on Earth._ ” Lena shrugged, smiling slightly as Kara calmed easily for her, just as she always had. After a moment, the blonde nodded, and pulled the CEO back into her chest.

“ _Maybe so. It’s not been easy, life on Earth. It seems fitting that he would prepare us_ ” she murmured against Lena’s temple, as the brunette hummed and nodded gently against the hero’s strong jaw.

They fell into silence, as they held each other close, there on the floor. Lena thought back to the trials she had faced on Earth. Her xenophobic family, the struggle she had faced in trying to move past losing her home, as well as the love of her life. All while fending off nightmares of enclosed spaces, and malicious voids.

It was worth it, if she ended up with Kara at her side.

She was certain that Kara had been thinking along similar lines, when the blonde squeezed a little tighter, for no apparent reason. Lena squeezed back, just as tight, and Kara seemed to thrill at that; finally receiving the strong hug she’d likely gone many years without. After a moment, she pulled back once more, and rested her forehead against her wife’s.

“ _We never even came of age, at home. I’ve never even gotten to kiss you. And don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled to simply sit here and hold you; but Lena, after all this time, I so desperately want to kiss my wife_ ” Kara pouted, and Lena smirked. She moved her hands from strong, broad shoulders, to soft, ruddy cheeks, and leaned in. Kara followed suit, and within moments, they were finally sharing their first kiss. It took only a moment longer, for that kiss to become more heated, more needy.

Of course, it had to be then, that a woman Lena did not know, burst into her office, gun drawn and aimed right at them.

Kara, being her protective self, was between Lena and the gun within a split second. Tense and ready to fight. But her shoulders slumped, after a moment, and Lena peered around her shoulders to raise an unimpressed eyebrow at the short-haired woman. She heard Kara huff, and watched as the confused looking gun-woman lowered her weapon

“For Rao’s sake, Alex, have you heard of knocking?” Kara groaned, and Lena could see the pink tainting her cheeks.

“Well, you weren’t responding on your comms, Supergirl, so I figured you were in trouble. Who’s this?” The woman - Alex, apparently - holstered her weapon, as she raised her free hand to point from Kara to Lena.

Lena could see Kara’s cheeks reddening further.

“Uuuuhhhhhh, wellll...you should prolly sit down for this...” she stuttered, as she looked to Lena for confirmation. The brunette nodded as she gestured to the sofa, before turning to collect her scotch, and a few glasses. It wouldn’t affect her or Kara, but she got the impression this Alex woman would appreciate it. Her suspicions were confirmed, when the short haired woman downed the first two fingers, only to shake her glass in Lena’s direction for a refill. A manicured eyebrow was raised, but the drink was still poured.

If the woman was close enough to Kara to get an explanation, Lena would play nice. Unless they were dating, then Lena would most likely play very, very not nice. She shelved that thought, opting to figure it out before getting jealous. She sat on the other side of her wife, as Kara took a deep breath, before reaching for one of each woman’s hands.

“First, Lena, this is Alex, my sister...” Lena let go of the breath she’d been unwittingly holding, relaxing considerably with the information, while Alex tensed. Kara calmed her with a simple look that said 'trust me'. The red head seemed placated, and Kara continued

“And Alex, this is Lena. And there is a LOT of explaining to do, when it comes to her, and us, and everything around that.” She let’s go of Alex’s hand, to gesture vaguely in the space before her, and Lena just knows that the blonde has retained her rambling habit. She smiles at the thought.

Alex nods slowly, as she takes another sip of scotch. After a moment of silence from Kara, she gently knocks her knee against the blonde’s, and Lena’s heart both swells and breaks to know that Kara has been gifted a loving, sane sibling. She tamps down the sadness that comes from thinking of Lex, and gently squeezes Kara’s hand. The blonde seems to settle slightly, comfortable in the presence of the people around her. She takes another deep breath

“On Krypton, we had a device called the Matricomp. It was, for all intents and purposes, a match-making computer. When we were born, it would collect data, for the specific purpose of finding the person who would match perfectly with us.

Everything from saliva, blood, hair and sweat swabs, as well as other data, like eye and hair colour, and projected body type was taken to enter into the system. Updates would occasionally be made to ensure an accurate pairing, but for the most part, it was the most accurate piece of technology on the planet.” She stopped, allowing her sister a minute to catch up. It didn't take long, and soon the blonde was off again

"It's accuracy meant that even if we were only a few days old, if our projected partner had been born we could be matched immediately. More often than not, there were a few years between partners, because that's just how life is. For example, I was 4, by the time my match was born, so we had a small gap from the outset. On Krypton, when you were matched, you were...well, in Earth terms, it would be considered married. But we just called it being bonded. 

The idea of pairing us off so young, was that we would be able to grow together. We'd learn to love the things our partner loves, because we'd grow up with it. Any fights or misunderstandings we may have, would happen when we were still youthful and eager to maintain close bonds. It was a system that worked perfectly, for us. And that's why human relationships have always been tremendously difficult for me to navigate." She sighed, as she shook her head in embarrassment. Lena squeezed her hand, and smiled at what was a shared experience, to be sure. Alex's brows were furrowed, though, and the couple waited patiently for her to break her silence.

"So, Kryptonians were essentially brought up as siblings, even though you were meant to be a couple?" she tested, sounding a little disturbed. Lena chuckled quietly into her hand, and Kara gave her an unimpressed look. She decided it was her turn to weigh in

"It's not quite a sibling relationship, more like best friends. It was always geared towards a romantic future, though. We were always... not pushed, but encouraged...to pursue more romantic behaviours. It was required of us to fulfil certain criteria each month, little relationship milestones that were romantic in nature. Those milestones were always set with our age in mind, so as to avoid things going...too far, too quickly. My favourite, was a date we shared when I was about 5, and this one was 9" She nudged Kara, who smiled happily in response.

"We wandered out to one of the last park spaces near Argo City, and had a picnic. We watched Rao set, then tried to count the stars, before Alura came to collect us. We filled the criteria required of us that month, just by holding hands the entire time.

You may consider it a rather odd system, maybe you even believe it is sexualization of a minor, but it was how things were done, on Krypton." Lena shrugged. Alex's brow seemed to furrow even further, as she contemplated what the brunette had just said. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, then repeated the process, before finally speaking

"I'm really confused. Like, a lot. You're Kryptonian? You shared a date with K...Supergirl? Alura picked you up? What?" the woman's voice increased in pitch, as she asked more and more questions, and Lena decided to cut-in, before the woman had an aneurysm in her confusion

"I'm half Kryptonian, yes. My mother was quite the adventurer, so she often visited other planets, but Earth was always her favourite. She fell in love here, with a man named Lionel - my father. As such, we visited Earth frequently. 

She believed that Rao had chosen Lionel for her, after her husband's death. The belief came from the fact that his last name was ridiculously similar to hers; Luthor and Lut-Or. It's ridiculous, but at the same time, what are the odds that two names, from two different planets, in two different galaxies, would be so similar? It's so unlikely that the math is near impossible to do, with only human technology." She waited a moment, letting her sister-in-law reconcile that information, before continuing. 

Meanwhile, Kara was gently tracing patterns into the back of her hand, and she'd never felt more at ease on Earth before. 

"When my pod landed on Earth, I was only 8, lost and alone on a whole new planet, before a woman picked me up, and took me to an orphanage. They tried for days to make contact with Lionel. That was a rough time. But eventually, he came for me, and I was adopted by the Luthors. 

Lionel made me promise not to reveal my true nature, as it had been hard enough to convince Lillian to adopt me in the first place. I didn't understand, for a long time, but I did as I was told, and I'm so thankful I did. You've seen what Lex did, how he murdered all those people, in his xenophobic rage. Rao knows what would've happened to me, if I'd rebelled against Lionel's request." She shuddered slightly, as Kara squeezed her hand. She took a deep, cleansing breath, before continuing

"And I didn't just share a date with Kara..." she watched Alex's eyes widen as she realised that the CEO knew her sister's identity, before powering on

"We're bonded, married, in human terms. We've shared many dates, many memories and moments that no one else is privy to. I thought I'd lost her, when I landed on Earth. I spent decades, pining and grieving for her. It was twice as hellish as even the Phantom Zone."

"Wait, you were in the Phantom Zone, too?" Alex interjected

"Yes. Kara and I were just beginning to talk about that. But we got...distracted" She raised a playful eyebrow in her wife's direction, and Kara blushed beautifully in response. Alex continued to look lost.

"It is odd to know, that we were in the same place for so long, without ever knowing it. Worse when you consider how far apart we landed. I was just outside of Metropolis, and I assume you were relatively close to National City?" she asked Kara, who made a non-committal hum

"Midvale, so not necessarily close, but not particularly far either. Definitely further away from you, though." She grumbled, and Lena giggled. Alex just watched cautiously.

"So, you two are each other's child-bride? Separated for decades, and now finally back together? How am I meant to believe that? How do I know this isn't some Luthor plot to take down a Super?" Kara tensed so harshly that her shoulders nearly touched her ears, and Lena had to pull her into a hug to stop her from laser-eyeing the place to ashes. 

Alex looked taken aback. Clearly, she had never been faced with her sister's anger, before. Lena took the time to fully calm the blonde, before even trying to answer Alex's question, and the red head seemed remorseful, as she watched her sister relax.

"In answer to your question, Alex, you don't. You'll likely always judge me, based on what my so-called family has done. And that's fine with me. I understand. But we  _know_. We know without a doubt. 

I know, because no one has Kara's eyes, no one has her drive to protect, no one has her smile. And Kara knows, in her own ways, too. On top of that, part of the bonding ceremony we went through on Krypton involved receiving a marking, a brand, as it were. It is each of our house crests, combined into a single new one, to commemorate our bonding. It is something truly unique, because only same-sex pairings received a new crest. Kara's is on the inside of her left hip. I know that, because she showed me, just as I showed her where mine is..."

"Inner right hip. So when we hug, they press together" Kara interjected, sounding agitated. Lena rubbed her palm across strong shoulder-blades, and the blonde snuggled further into her, refusing to look at her sister. 

"Well, that doesn't prove much to me, to be honest. But Kara trusts you, so I'll trust her judgement on this. However, if you step one foot out of line, I don't care how much Kara trusts you, I will blow your brains out with a Kryptonite bullet. You may be her wife, but  _I'm_ her sister. And I will protect her, at all costs" At that, Kara tensed again, and Lena could feel the heat of her laser vision against her chest. She quietly shushed the blonde, while staring at her sister-in-law. 

She could respect this woman. Easily. Her desire to protect Kara spoke volumes of her character, and Lena could appreciate anyone who was willing to look out for her starlight. As she carded her fingers through blonde tresses with one hand, she reached her other out behind Kara's back, making a silent agreement with the older woman as they shook on it.

She was so very pleased to know that Kara had someone like this in her life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, tbh I have no recollection of Lena's age when she was adopted, or the estimated age gap between her and Kara. 4 years seemed pretty reasonable, though, so I went with it.
> 
> Also, I’d really love for you guys to take a look at my fundraiser.
> 
> https://chuffed.org/project/tips-for-topsurgery
> 
> Thanks guys


	5. Chapter 5

The trio remained still for a while. Alex and Lena staring at one another, while Kara remained buried in Lena's chest. But it didn't last long. Soon, Kara was up, standing next to the couch as she glared menacingly at her sister

"I can't let this continue" She began, as Lena and Alex looked up at her in shock

"I can't let you sit here, and... _threaten_ my wife, Alex" the older woman went to argue, but Kara raised a hand to silence her

"I know it's out of love, that you're trying to protect me. But I don't need your protection, Alex. I need your understanding, and support. 

I've spent literal  _decades_ grieving for the loss of my planet, my life, my bondmate. And now, I find that the one thing I missed above all else is here, is alive and well and  _here_ , and you threaten her? With a Kryptonite bullet to the head? What is  _wrong_ with you? What makes you think that that is in any way reasonable? What the hell makes you think that you can't trust me, to know my own wife?" Kara had become more irate with each word, and Lena could see tears beginning to form in Alex's eyes. She could see both women's perspective, but it was clear that out of the two, Kara would be the only one to regret it if she said something that hurt her sister. Alex already seemed far too stubborn. So she raised herself from her place on the couch, and gently wound her arms around Kara's waist. Kara stopped long enough to take a deep breath, before she focused back on her sister

"I love you dearly, Alex, but you don't get to do this. You don't get to speak to my wife like that, and you don't get to control my life. As I said, I understand that it's from a place of love, but it is not ok. And if you're going to continue with this unnecessary aggression, I'm going to ask you to leave. If you actually just sit down and listen, you might be able to understand how deep a Kryptonian bond is, how I knew exactly who Lena was just by seeing her. If you started leading with your head, instead of your gun, it would be so much easier for me to open up to you about these things" Kara trailed off, as a tear finally rolled down Alex's cheek. Lena felt awkward, the tension in the room was palpable and she couldn't help but think it was her fault. In her periphery, she watched Alex stand

"Kara, I..." Kara raised her hand again

"Be careful what you say, Alex. Please. I don't want us to fight, but I need you to know that I will not stand for you being aggressive towards Lena. So please, choose your words wisely" Alex closed her mouth with a sigh

"Kara, I'm sorry. You're right. I stepped way out of line, when I should just be happy for you. 

Protecting you has been such a huge part of my life, that I think I forget to turn it off sometimes. But it  _does_ come from a place of love, Kara, I can promise you that. I don't want to see you hurt, in any way, but especially your heart. You've been through so much already, I don't want to see it broken further. But I understand that I need to let you go and do your own thing sometimes. And I need to trust you to know what you're doing with that. So, I don't know anything about Kryptonian Bonds, or how strong they are or anything. Will you, both of you, forgive me enough to explain it?" Alex implored, and Lena could feel the tension melt away from her wife. She gently unwound her arms, and nudged the blonde towards her sister. The two shared a few tears, and apologies, before they parted, and each looked to Lena

"What?" she asked, as the pair seemed to question her with their eyes. It was Alex who spoke

"Can you forgive me? Please? I was way out of line, and I'm so sorry to have threatened you before even knowing anything. I'm so sorry" Lena chuckled, as she extended a hand for Alex to shake

"Personally, I was really thrilled to see that Kara has someone so determined to protect her. She's usually the one doing the protecting, while forgetting that sometimes, she might need saving herself. So I'll forgive you the threat, but I'll also warn you that it didn't mean much, anyway. I'm immune to Kryptonite" She shrugged, as both Alex and Kara's eyebrows shot into their hairlines

"Wait, what?" Kara uttered, as Alex moved forward, seemingly intent on examining Lena's eyes, in particular. She pulled a small torch from Rao knows where, and shone it in each eye, before Lena gently batted her away.

"It's not like you'll find my immunity in my eyes, Alex. I was lucky, in that I got all of the strengths of both species, and none of the weaknesses. Bulletproof, Kryptonite-proof, illness-proof. If I didn't think it would cause unintended mutations and evolutionary anomalies, I'd be using my blood to cure all current human ailments. You're such a fragile species..." she trailed off, as the other women stared at her. She felt a little proud, and a little unnerved, until Kara pressed a light kiss to her cheek, a sweet utterance of ' _I always knew you were special'_  against her ear, before she was gone again, back at Alex's side and grinning gleefully. Alex took a moment to comprehend the situation, before she gave the Luthor an impressed look, a slight smirk on her lips all the while. 

"Well, if you really want to learn about this, Alex, I suggest we all sit back down. Explaining everything about the Matricomp, and Kryptonian bonding's will take time, and we may as well be comfortable. Are ether of you hungry? Because I am starved, and my favourite Chinese place is about to close. I don't want to miss out on their potstickers." Alex snickered, as Kara's eyes widened and she nodded emphatically. 

Lena put through their order as the other two sat, Alex immediately noting that the order was Kara's usual, but doubled and with her own order tacked on. Kara explained that Chinese food was extremely close to the sorts of meals back on Krypton, and that that was why she'd always favoured it above all else. Alex looked at her with a hint of sadness, gently asking why her sister had never told her this. Kara just shrugged and stated that she didn't think it was that important at the time. Lena watched as Alex pulled her little sister into her arms, telling her that anything important to Kara was important to her.

Lena smiled to herself as she reclaimed her position on Kara's left. She could definitely respect Kara's big sister

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, I want to tackle some of the loose ends regarding Lena and Kara's marriage, and any other questions which have arisen along the way.
> 
> If you have anything to ask, or anything you want me to address, leave a comment, and I'll do my best to answer it in the next chapter


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, I got the math right for Lena and Kara's landings and respective ages. I'm going with Lena being 24 when the series started (2015), and Kara being 28. Given that this is technically taking place in season two (2016), I've added a year to account for that. If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me. I'm crap at math!

They engaged in idle chit-chat while awaiting the food delivery, and had built a rather strong rapport throughout dinner. Alex and Lena had even managed to start a nerdiest joke competition, and were holding their sides laughing as they tried to best one another. Kara was absolutely thrilled, happily watching the pair wheeze with laughter. But it was soon time to focus on the important stuff. As the two wound down, Alex took on a slightly more serious look

"I'm not sure how you guys want to do this, but I know that I have a million questions. Are you guys ok with answering those, and we'll just talk it all out like that?" Lena and Kara looked to one another, a short, silent conversation occurring before they both nodded.

"Ok, first things first. You guys were married as kids? Like, as soon as Lena was born, kids?" Lena laughed, as Kara blushed slightly

"Yes, pretty much. It was just how things worked, so we never knew any better. Earth is obviously very different in that respect. We were brought up to only ever be with one person - our bondmate - and while we had date-like outings, it was like a date-night for a busy married couple, more than seeing a few people to get an idea of who they are. It was very different to Earth" Alex nodded, they'd told her a little bit of this already, but she was still having trouble wrapping her head around it. She decided to just keep asking questions, hoping to get a better grasp on the situation

"And how old are you, Lena? Earth years and Phantom Zone inclusive years" 

"Well, as I mentioned, I left Krypton at 8, was stuck in the Phantom zone for approximately 24 years, then landed on earth in 2002, I think. Technically, I'm 49, but the Phantom Zone is a place where time doesn't move, so I was still 8 when I landed. If we take my time in the Phantom Zone out of the equation, I'm around 25" Alex nods, as Kara looks at her wife curiously

"I landed in 2002, as well. What month did you get here?" she questioned

"Hmm, July or August, I think? I'm not entirely sure, that whole time is a blur" Lena answered, gently squeezing her wife's hand

"I landed in September" She whispers, clearly overwhelmed by just how close they had been, while being miles apart. Alex rests a hand on her sister's knee, offering a supportive squeeze, before returning her attention to Lena. She knew the conversation would help her sister stay grounded. She'd never liked to dwell on her sorrows

"So you guys both landed well after Superman? But you didn't go looking for him?" she asked, with no judgement, just curiosity. Lena shook her head

"By then, he was already starting to appear, here and there. Nowhere near as frequently as now, but he was around. I knew he was safe, and that was all I could ask for. By then, all I could do was grieve for Kara." the aforementioned blonde turned to embrace her wife, whispering in Kryptonian to her, as Alex watched on. Soon, the pair parted, eyes a little glassier than they had previously been

"That's rough" Alex said, unsure what else she could offer. They lapsed into a short silence, as the elder woman allowed them a moment to recenter themselves. Lena nodded to her encouragingly when they were ready

"You said that your father was still alive when you got here, I assume he was actually rather young, when he was with your mother?" She asked gently, as Lena chuckled

"He was early to mid thirties, I believe. We used to come to Earth for visits, every few months, just so he could see me. He was much older when I arrived on Earth after Krypton's destruction. The only reason he refused the nun's calls, was because he believed it a prank. He hadn't seen, nor heard from me for 24 years, he thought I was dead, or that my mother didn't want me to see him anymore. He wept, when he saw me again.

Despite what many say about the Luthor's, what many of them have done, I can personally vouch for the fact that Lionel was not like them. He did everything in his power to keep me safe, to protect me from Lillian. Granted, it was his poor behaviour that caused the issue in the first place - Lillian knew damn well that he had cheated, and with an alien - but he did what he could. He was a good man" This time, both other women moved to comfort her. She expected it of Kara, but Alex's hand, heavy on her shoulder, was as much a surprise, as it was welcome. She composed herself once more, as she quietly thanked them both

"Feel free to keep asking, Alex" she said, her voice cracking just slightly. Alex hesitated, but ultimately couldn't contain her curiosity

"So, Lex didn't know either, then?" She hedged, cautious about the subject of Lex Luthor, but still inquisitive

"No, no he didn't. He loved me, truly, but he had already been tainted by his mother's hatred. He was already a xenophobe, he was just slightly more sane. It wasn't a viable risk to take. Oftentimes, I wonder if knowing about me would have changed his mind, would have helped him. But I honestly don't think it would have. He was such a mama's boy, and Lillian knew it. She twisted him, made him hateful. It was painful to watch. But there was nothing I could do. He was too far gone, by the time I arrived" She hung her head. Logically, she knew there had been nothing she could do to stem the rage her brother felt towards aliens, he had grown up with it, after all. But she'd always held some guilt, about not stopping him, when she knew damn well she could have. Kara pulled her back into her arms.

"Lena, there's nothing you could have done. Even if you'd have used your powers and revealed yourself, you would've just changed the direction of his focus from Kal-El to you; and much as I love my cousin, he was far more prepared than you would’ve been. It’s not your fault, Lena. It’s not your fault” as Lena dissolved into tears, Kara held her close, stroking her hair as she repeated a mantra of ‘its not your fault’. Alex felt somewhat overwhelmed by guilt. She’d judged without proof, and now she had a front row seat to Lena’s pain. She moved to sit on the coffee table, rubbing Lena’s back as Kara continued to reassure her.

It took time, but Lena eventually calmed, apologising for her outburst as she did. Both Alex and Kara scoffed at her, rebuffing the unnecessary apology with ease. Neither believed the young woman should apologise for feeling. They were quiet, as they moved past the sombre moment, until Alex told another nerdy joke to ease the tension. Everyone appreciated the lighter atmosphere it brought. 

“So, how does this whole “we know” thing work? Like, how did you guys know who the other was? You mentioned eyes and determination and stuff, but, like, how?” Alex gestured, and Lena chuckled at the thought that Kara’s rambling had rubbed off on her sister. The blonde nudged her playfully in response, before returning her attention to her sister

“Well, as you know, Kryptonian’s were unable to conceive naturally, at least until Lena’s mother, then Kal’s parents. The point of the Matricomp, was to encourage mating, in the hopes of...kickstarting our reproductive abilities. 

Unfortunately, decades of being sterile meant that the urge to...procreate...at all had pretty much disappeared. So gene masters - the guys who put us together in test tubes, to keep our race alive - started to manipulate our genes to compel us to mate again.” Kara had developed a light blush throughout the explanation, much to both Lena and Alex’s delight. Lena decided to take over, to spare her wife some embarrassment

”It took them a while to get it right, but eventually they had manipulated our DNA enough to get us back to the point of at least wanting to try. The hiccups they encountered along the way, though, directly opposed the workings of the Matricomp. While that was geared towards us finding a partner, someone who would be the perfect mate to create a strong bloodline with, the alterations to our DNA tended to make our kind...promiscuous. 

So they had to make further alterations, in line with the intentions of the Matricomp. See, on Krypton, partnerships were about creating strong, healthy bloodlines, more than love. Seeking someone outside of your bond was considered a great taboo, an offence against Rao himself. So our genealogy was altered to focus solely on our designated partner. The rest of it, I can figure out, but I have never cracked how they managed to make us seek physical pleasure with only one, very specific person. It still baffles me” she trailed off, as Kara nodded along. Alex seemed to be following, but was clearly feeling a bit squicky about all the gene manipulation. Kara took up where Lena left off

”Unfortunately, the fix for those issues created more. Suddenly we had ridiculously young couples exploring sex, and that posed a moral and ethical problem. Because what would they do if our reproductive systems started working again, and we were suddenly inundated with terribly young parents who didn’t have the knowledge to raise a child, or worse, had severe complications because they were too young to bear a child? So they altered our genealogy again, as well as the laws. 

16 was considered a reasonable age, and so they went with that, and somehow managed to put a timer on that desire. The new laws meant that even kissing was forbidden prior to reaching 16, and finally everything was they way they wanted it to be; couples were paired, were only attracted to each other, and would naturally wait until a reasonable age to begin trying to conceive.” Lena nodded along, as Alex seemed more and more perplexed.

”That sure is some achievement.” She marvelled, as she tried to wrap her head around everything. Lena and Kara gave her the time she needed. Eventually, she seemed comfortable to continue her questioning

”What about Kal-El? Like generally speaking. Does he know who you are? And who you are to Kara?” she asked Lena, who looked to Kara, who shook her head apologetically. Lena smiled reassuringly 

“If Kara says he doesn’t, then I’d say he doesn’t. He was an infant when we departed Krypton, and while I know Jor-El ensured he had access to as much of Krypton’s archives as possible, I can’t guarantee he read them, or that there was any record of our bonding present there. I assume it’s something we’ll talk to him about in the future.” She looked questioningly to Kara, who nodded happily

”And what about everyone else? Will you be telling them, Kar? And if you’re willing to answer, why didn’t you tell any of us before?” Kara began picking at an invisible thread on her skirt, until Lena took her hand. The gentle squeeze she gave seemed to calm the hero

”It was painful. More so than losing my parents, or my planet. Part of the genetic manipulation we experienced affected how we perceived our relationships. Parents and planets weren’t home, they were people and places. Our bondmate, they were home. Even our teachings were geared towards ensuring our partner was the most important person in the universe to us.

So thinking that I’d lost Lena, it was far more painful than anything else. I could talk about the red skies of Krypton, but I couldn’t bring myself to even think of Lena’s eyes, or her hair, or the way she smells. It was too much. So I did what I could to bury it. It was easier than facing all of that pain.” She admitted, as tears began to roll down her cheeks. Alex moved back to the space beside her sister, to help comfort her, as Lena wrapped herself around the blonde. They stayed like that, all comforting one another, as the blonde regained control of herself

"Wow, this is a  _really_ emotional conversation" she chuckled, as she wiped her eyes with the a tissue from the box on the table. Alex and Lena laughed and nodded. It was definitely more than anyone had anticipated.

"It was the same for me, too. I was already in a position where I couldn't speak of my past - no one cared, anyway - but in a way, that worked for me. I could quietly grieve and no one would ask any questions. It's probably the only thing I'm thankful of, when it comes to the Luthor's." Kara and Alex nodded again, and they returned to silence for a while. Soon, the heaviness of it all became a little too much to bear, and Lena asked if Alex had anymore questions.

"Not at this stage, although I'm sure more will crop up soon enough. For now, I think I've taken up enough of your time. So I'll go, and leave you guys to get back to your reunion. It's been a long time coming, after all" she smiled, as she got up from the couch. Kara rose, too, bringing her sister into a hug. Alex eyed Lena over the blonde's shoulder, before she reached out to her.

"C'mere, Luthor. You're my sister-in-law, you're required to hug, too" Lena chuckled, as she rose to her feet. 

"Technically, it's Lut-El. But Luthor will do for now, I suppose" Alex raised an eyebrow, as she hugged the shorter woman

"Lut-El, huh? I take it that's technically your name, too?" She asked Kara, who beamed and nodded in response

"Yeah, hence the new crest when we were bonded. I should get Winn to update my suit with the new crest, now that it won't hurt so badly to see" She trailed off, as she stared down at her chest. 

"Maybe it's best to wait until you've explained it to everyone, Kar. Otherwise there will be a lot of questions. Not that there won't be, anyway, but at least it'll be on your terms. Plus, there's the issue of the general public. They'll ask about their hero's new symbol. You two need to figure out what you're going to do about that." Kara and Lena nod, the elder woman had a point. Smiling, Alex reassured the couple that they could count on her to keep it quiet, and that despite her earlier outburst, she approved of the young CEO for her little sister. With another quick hug, she bid the couple goodnight, cheekily adding that they shouldn't stay up  _all_ night, as she wiggled her eyebrows. Kara blushed, as Lena laughed in response.

Soon enough, Alex had departed, leaving the long-lost couple alone in Lena's office, smiling sweetly at one another as their hands intertwined

"There is so much I want to tell you" Kara said, as she brought her wife's hand to her lips. 

"And I have much to tell you too, my starlight. But I think I've had enough of this stuffy office, for tonight. Would you like to come back to my place, and we can talk more?" She hadn't meant it  as a come-on, not in the slightest. But Kara still blushed, as she accepted the offer. Lena chuckled, as she wrote her address on the back of the blonde's hand. She couldn't very well walk out the front door with Supergirl on her arm, and she told the hero as much when she questioned the move

"Go home and change, then meet me there. That way no one will be suspicious of a Super entering a Luthor's lair" she joked, and Kara rolled her eyes, but agreed anyway. They shared a quick, sweet peck, before Kara left through the balcony door she'd entered through, eager to meet Lena back at her apartment. Lena giggled to herself as she heard the blonde laughing happily as she flew home.

No matter what happened from here, she was happy, as long as her wife was nearby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! What a roller-coaster of emotions! If I've missed anything that needed clarifying, let me know!


End file.
